top of page
Join Our Newsletter

Thanks for subscribing!

Follow us

  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest

Free Ultimate Furniture Painting Guide

Whimsical Metal Filing Cabinet Makeover

I'm not sure why....but I've never personally owned a metal filing cabinet. Well.....I do now!


Did I need one?? Not really! But I wanted to try a metal filing cabinet makeover project...so that's exactly what I did with a dose of whimsy!


And I can bet that many of you reading this blog post have one in your home. And I also can bet that you aren't proud of it....and certainly aren't displaying it!


With a little bit of product and a little bit of creative thinking.....we can save all the metal filing cabinets together!


Whimsical metal filing cabinet makeover by Tracey's Fancy

I found this filing cabinet at Goodwill. It is the perfect size to store my endless supply of craft supplies.....well...okay....I may need a few more.....and Goodwill had plenty!



It was SOOOO cheap....like really cheap! And it is surprisingly lightweight which is always a bonus for my back!


I painted it in one coat of Slick Stick and let it dry overnight. I repeated with another coat of Slick Stick the following morning.


I then chose the division line where I planned to separate the colors with my wide trim.....and drew this line with a marker.


Whimsical metal filing cabinet makeover by Tracey's Fancy

I then painted the top half in Dixie Belle's Peony with a fade/blend downward into Plum Crazy and finally Muscadine Wine.


This blended look is really easy to obtain as long as you use water to blend out your line of color change. Just mist that area well while brushing the paint back and forth to blend the two colors together. I love and recommend this continuous fine mist spray bottle for any blending projects.


The lower half of the dividing line I painted in two coats of Fluff. I force dried this with my heat gun (due to being pinched for time).


I then covered the Fluff in a single coat of Clear Top Coat in Satin and again force dried this with my heat gun. (I was prepping for a live video and needed to hurry)


I used 1.5" painters tape to tape off my stripes. This is why I clear top coated first...it helps when painting stripes.....as sometimes the tape will pull your paint off.


I burnished my stripes with Fluff (sealed the sides....before adding a contrasting color....helps to give you clean edges when the tape is removed)


I then painted a single coat of Caviar for the stripes. I always immediately remove my tape.....and my beautiful clean stripes are revealed!


Whimsical metal filing cabinet makeover by Tracey's Fancy

I used Wood U Bend embossed leaf trim moulding (TR009) for the wide trim on the front and one side. I also used Wood U Bend trims (TR37 and TR0119) combined for the other side.


And finally....a Wood U Bend tiny....for the little heart (WUB1440) that covered a broken lock on the front. The moulds are so easy to use and excite me every single time I use them. I am equally amazed at these amazing products with each project! I paint..... heat.....cut......glue (Titebond).....stick on....heat.....and enhance! It's just that easy.....and makes such an impact!


Whimsical metal filing cabinet makeover by Tracey's Fancy

All the moulds were painted with the soon to be released Dixie Belle Mousse in Gold.


Oh....what did I say??? Yes! Dixie Belle will reveal this new and magnificent mousse to the public soon! It is thick...opaque....easy to work with...no smell....and covers like a champ....and its a metallic sheen that is RICH! I then enhanced all the moulds with Best Dang Wax Black....to feature the intense carvings of the moulds! I applied it heavily and wiped back with a baby wipe.


Finally....I applied the Redesign with Prima Wondrous Floral II transfer to each side.


Whimsical metal filing cabinet makeover by Tracey's Fancy

The entire cabinet is brush sealed with two coats of Clear Top Coat in Satin.

It now lives in my whimsically styled office (be sure to check it out HERE)....and is full of supplies that will be used in many future creative projects. I may go back to Goodwill for another....and another....maybe I'll see you there! I see more metal filing cabinet makeovers in my future. lol


Now, let's talk about that fun pink ombre painted leather chair.... Yes, you can paint leather. Learn how on my blog here.

See you next week!

XOXO,

Tracey

Sign Up here

Please share my metal filing cabinet makeover pins and follow me on Pinterest!

Whimsical metal filing cabinet makeover by Tracey's Fancy

554 views0 comments

Related Posts

See All
bottom of page